IAEA to remove nuclear material from Syria, cutting off dirty bomb risk
Geopolitics
The IAEA is preparing to remove nuclear material from a secret site in Syria under an agreement brokered by the United States. The deal is a mutual understanding between Syria, Israel, and the IAEA, pushed by the Trump administration after months of negotiations. The material is left over from the nuclear program of former leader Bashar al-Assad and poses a risk of being used to build a radiological dispersal device, or dirty bomb, particularly at Site 99, which stores yellowcake that can serve as a component of a dirty bomb. Israel bombed the al-Kibar reactor in 2007, but some material remained and Israel had considered striking again. The agreement comes as the new Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa moves quickly to restore ties with Western nations after more than 15 years of civil war.
